UMass Memorial Provides Virtual Medicine to Infants
UMass
Memorial Medical Center, a Council member, has launched a new virtual
medicine program that will allow neonatal intensive care unit doctors to engage
more patients across the Central Massachusetts region. As the only hospital in
the region with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the doctors will now be
able to offer their expertise at more hospitals.
When an infant is born in distress at one of the community
hospitals in Central Massachusetts, a team is dispatched from UMass Memorial to
bring the baby to the NICU. Under the new virtual care system, video
conferencing will be introduced that will allow neonatologists to consult with doctors
and nurses while the medical team is dispatched to the infant. In addition to
treating infants, virtual care has been applied by dermatologists at UMass
Memorial, and will soon be expanded to cover other areas of medical care.
David Smith, Associate Vice President for Virtual Medicine
at UMass Memorial explained, “We want to make this part of how we deliver
health care in the future. . . Telemedicine won’t one day be distinguished as
something separate or unique. It’ll be just part of how we deliver care.”
The NEC applauds UMass Memorial Medical Center for enhancing
the ability of doctors to treat their patients and for advancing access to
medical consultation.